Why Ours and Everyone Elses Packing List Can Go To Hell

As we approach the 12 month anniversary of us casting off from the portside of Bari, Italy towards the new adventures of full-time travel; we’ve begun to think about the typical things people talk about on the completion of their first year of travelling around the world. Some talk about what they’ve learnt about themselves during that time, for others it’s a time to reflect on the people and places they’ve left behind back home, for others it’s presents the perfect opportunity to pass on their knowledge of handy travel hints such as ‘500 Amazing Unmissable Things You’d Be Damned Without On Your Packing List‘.

Well, to hell with your packing list.

When we came back from our trip to Venice in 2011 the only thing on our minds was ‘travel, travel, travel’ and it became the only thing we’d be reading about online.

We’d be on travel blogs everyday reading the opinions of the travel bloggers who were just getting started through to the reviews of products and techniques by some of the biggest names in the travel blogging world.

“You MUST pack this”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead without this in my bag!”

All of it was reading as the best advice possible, that by using – and perhaps combining – all of these varying styles and packing lists we could come up with the biggest and best list that’s ever been!*insert applause*

We could make the best minimal-digital-adventure-luxury-budget packing list and laugh in the faces of those we see lumbered down with heavy backpacks with plastic bags of shoes tied to the outside and a extra suitcase on wheels in both hands.

Or not

Packing Adventures, Not Lists

What we’ve come to realise from our experiences is that there is no perfect packing list. There is no secret to getting the most (or the least) into your backpack to live your new travelling lifestyle to the full. What makes your new lifestyle incredible are the things you do, not the things you pack.

Sure, go and read our packing list from our beginning last year and get an idea for what we thought was good to take with us, but don’t allow it to guide you too much. Allow your comfort and own preferences to govern you because at the end of the day, if you’re not comfortable, you may never relax enough to let the world sink into your skin and allow the the people and the country you’re in to connect with you.

If you’re more comfortable walking for eight straight hours in an old pair of trainers rather than a heavy and sweaty pair of hiking boots, great! Pack ‘em! That’s what I do.

Not because anyone told me to, but because I’m more relaxed that way, because I want to feel and to see the world as I would do at home – in a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and my old comfortable slipper-like trainers – because that’s how I’m most at ease.

Why must I change the way I dress and the way I pack just because I’m changing location?

my trainers just before their premature ends

Pack that hairdryer if you want it.

You know it weighs more, but you’ll be happier and less reliant on finding one at your next hotel or hostel. If the weight worries you, sacrifice something else if needs be. Those two spare plugs for ‘just in case!’, bin ‘em, and anything else you feel as unnecessary.

Carry five heavy paperbacks if you want them. I do.

Sure, I could buy an e-book reader and save myself the strain of carrying those huge, heavy and bulky things from one city to the next as I take three months to read them all – but I love my paperbacks.

Pack a laptop, not a netbook if you’d prefer. I wish I had.

Don’t get me wrong, having a netbook has certainly had it’s advantages weightwise during our travels, and being able to just pop something onto my lap whilst on a long bus journey to somewhereville has had it’s advantages too; but I miss my laptop

I miss being able to navigate and work on the web at speed, not the labour intensive and mind numbingly slow “I could have written this in marble faster” speed of my netbook.

No matter how heavy your backpack becomes, if you’ve bought a good quality backpack and made sure to get instruction from whoever’s selling it to you on the best way to wear it to protect your spine; have no worry.

Packing List Version 13.7.13

If this was the beginning and we were just about to leave, I think we’d both do it differently and we think you should too, and I’m not saying don’t go and read more packing lists – I guess it’s part of the fun of preparing for your own travels to see the lists of others – just be sure to pack to your own list, not setting the lists of others as goals as your own.

Just pack comfortably, pack for your interests and for your needs.

How do you pack?

68 Comments

I totally agree! I love reading about tips for packing and travel items that have been really useful for people, but I can’t stand the “you MUST take this ESSENTIAL” thing or “what you should NEVER take” attitudes.

Hi Dale! Great reflexion, I agree with you that packing lists should only be used to get an idea, and shouldn’t be followed word by word. Each person and each trip has different needs.
I found travelers’ packing lists very useful to find ideas when I was preparing my long trip (for example, I discovered that there are solid shampoo bars in these lists). But I didn’t follow any list at 100%, I adapted them to what I felt would fit me best.
I think that packing lists are like travel guides, they’re good for inspiration but then you need to think what’s the best for you 🙂Laia recently posted…Northern Thailand by motorbike (4): smile, give, receive

Agreed, as long as you can carry your stuff and give things away when you realise you don’t need them you should be fine. I feel your pain with the netbook- my old one was so slow in South America that it took all of my willpower to keep blogging at snail speed!Katie Featherstone recently posted…Camping spots that make you wonder why we ever sleep indoors.

I pack a hand blender and I’m proud of it! I’ve also go enough food, spices and snacks (plus plates and travel cutlery, not to mention tupaware) to whip up a small banquet in the corner of any hotel room. Plus I couldn’t travel without my yoga mat (although it is a travel version) And my ‘backpack’ has wheels so I can manage all that weight! I just love this timeless post of yours and totally agree with the sentiment! Pack what you like, travel how you like, your choices will become part of your own travel journey 🙂Caryl recently posted…The Temples of Angkor like you’ve never seen them before

I don’t pack! 🙂 When departing on a trip, I normally wake up late, throw whatever I can in a rucksack, run out of the door and hope for the best.Natalie recently posted…4 Myths about Expat Life in Turkey

I completely agree with you. I just feel some bloggers shame people into taking smaller bags than they really need to, like baggage fees are the devil. On the other hand, take stuff they don’t need or stuff they wouldn’t normally take. I read one that said don’t take jeans, instead take stretchy pants and flats because they take up less room. I travel in winter. This girl wears hoodies, jeans and skate shoes. When are flats practical walking shoes?

I truthfully have never used a packing list, just used gut instinct. Clothes, medications, basic first aid, camera gear, phone gear, travel plans, etc packed up in my old 65 or my newer 75 liter backpack which is the bomb (I can fit 3 weeks of clothes in that thing if I want.). Huge but still fits in the over head compartment in trains, no problem for my shortness. I also have a heavy-duty satchel for my out-on-the-town exploring, which is big enough to fit a hoodie, a camera and a guide book in at the same time.Jana recently posted…Assos: Gateway to Aristotle, St. Paul and an Island of Lesbians

Your current backpack sounds fantastic and exactly what we carry with us too.

I have to admit that there’s a part of me that thinks just packing a few things and hoping from one hot country to the next so I don’t have to pack thick and heavy winter clothes is appealing, but in truth I’ve enjoyed having things like a think jumper in my backpack, they’ve been incredibly useful to me and have enabled travel in countries out of season when there are fewer people around, so being a little colder doesn’t really matter.Dale recently posted…Win a TrustedHousesitters 1-Year Membership #competition

Exactly. Many of my trips have been out of season. I went to Italy over Christmas Holiday from Uni for 3 weeks so it was a bit cold. I had to pack for it. Even had an extra thick hoodie for northern Italy for the coldest days. That 65 liter bag I had at the time was full. But when I went to Washington DC a year later, I barely filled the bag since I only went a week and was wearing thin summer clothing since it was June, but there was still that hoodie in my bag just in case. I am ever the planner. I try to pack for everything, I don’t mind the weight, what’s 9 kilos when I lost twice that 2.5 years ago. That’s why they invented those fancy backpacking backpacks. The one I got now is fabulous.Jana recently posted…Assos: Gateway to Aristotle, St. Paul and an Island of Lesbians

I admit that, when packing, I usually make a list a few days before leaving, and then check the list,. I always like to leave some spare room for the things I might buy (souvenirs or useful things I might need or want for myself :D). Until now, it was all fine.

My boyfriend and I are just over 2 months away from starting our “big” trip and we just recently bought our backpacks this month. We’ve been doing several “practice packs” to ensure we can fit everything in our bags with room to spare. Ensuring that we can carry all of our things and that they’re organized in a manor that will make sense for us when were on the road. I’ve been using packing lists as a guide and have bought a few extras suggested by some travelers (such as a doorstop and a whistle). I’m curious as to how many things we’ll end up tossing once were on the road.

Practice packing we only did the once and it was interesting to say the least. Our bags now have changed since that time over a year ago when we first started and as you can tell from the tone of the post, I wish I’d listened to my gut instinct more.

This is so true, you have to be comfortable above all else. I’ve gotten my packing down to a science by this point, but some people might find my need to include certain things, like gold ballet flats (just in case) peculiar. It’s all about piece of mind.Heather recently posted…The Best Meals We Ate in Budapest

I’ve been carrying around my safety-blanket-hoodie which is especially needed when I’m feeling a little worse for wear (just in case) and I’ve probably taken it out of the bag no more than five times during the past year. Do I want to part ways with it to lighten my load? Yeah, sure. Why not? Will I? Nah!

I’d rather have something I know I’ll want rather than be without it, whatever the cost.

I am OBSESSED with the art of fine packing. It’s a different thing to different people. I love seeing what people consider necessities and I’m shocked at what some people can leave behind. But, with as many packing lists I’ve read, I’ve never packed according to their list. And I think I’ve never bought anything according to anyone’s list (however, I’m tempted to get the luggage weigher thing that I read about recently).

I leave soon to go away for a month and I have a packing list started on my living room door. But that consists of things like, the mug I bought my dad that’s stored in our closet, the watch for my mom that’s on the bookshelf, and to make sure I buy bread for my daughter so she can eat it on the flight. I don’t think anyone else would need to reference that before they leave!Ann recently posted…Phone Photography Apps

You’d be surprised! Franca has bread/sandwiches has top of the her mental packing list for whenever we take a flight. She always has something prepared 🙂

I remember the first time I saw someone with a luggage weigher in the shop I used to work in back in the UK and the couple with it were walking around the store weighing different DVD boxsets. I was straight on to security, I had no idea what they wee up too! They kept putting things in their little bad and weighing it, I thought they were on the rob. Very peculiar!

Everyone’s got their own version, but ultimately it comes down to what works for you, both as an individual and as a couple. Personally, I don’t travel with books unless I know I’m going to be without dedicated Internet for awhile, then it’s a must-have…and a good paperback has more benefits because it can be handed off to a friend later on…to be passed on, not lent. Never lend a book =P

I’m with you on the books. I like to be able to hand along a story I’ve enjoyed to a new friend or Couchsurfing host, sometimes to the annoyance of Franca. For example, during a Couchsurfing time in Amsterdam I finished reading ‘Fight Club’ and gave it to our host without thinking and was swiftly scolded by Franca as she hadn’t read the book yet. Whoops.Dale recently posted…The Beneath the Earth Art of Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima

I am in 100% agreement! It makes a whole lot of sense and if I think about it, that’s really how we pack all along as well! I bring along my hairdryer even though it’s bulky and heavy, but in its place, I sacrifice bringing that extra pair of shoes (excuse for me to purchase a new one on my travel :)) Awesome writeup!Shirlene from Idelish recently posted…{Tips} If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels

So true! It’s hard to avoid sorting through the initial pre-departure lists, but in the end you are absolutely right! Some of us travel blissfully with next to nothing and others carry stacks of gear – and never regret an ounce! You can’t know until you have travelled and found yourself wanting something left behind – or shipping half your belongings home mid-trip.Mary @ Green Global Travel recently posted…PHOTO GALLERY: Patagonia Flora – The Flowers of Torres Del Paine

I agree! Pack whatever you will use and what you need to be happy and comfortable!

We travel with too much stuff – a plaster cast & xrays of my teeth for orthodontist visits, about 5kgs of DVDs, another 5kgs of storybooks for the boy, nice clothes we’ll probably never need or wear…Bethaney – Flashpacker Family recently posted…Eight Fun Things to Do in Sydney with Kids

Your post sounds more like a life philosophy than a packing list. It’s OK to look at others, but in the end each of us decides what to keep and what to discard on our way to our next destination. Good for you for being willing to pack your own way!Mary @ Green Global Travel recently posted…PHOTO GALLERY: Patagonia Flora – The Flowers of Torres Del Paine

I utterly agree that it’s scanning over packing lists for a general idea of what to take is best, but following someone else’s list rather than making the final judgement for yourself is the key as I’m sure you and Bret will have found out first hand.Dale recently posted…The Ease and Pain of the Thai-Laos Border Crossing

That’s a great way of keeping tabs on what you may or may not have left behind, that’s for sure. I just hope people take not that packing lists are more a guide than a strict set of rules.Dale recently posted…Can LEGO Be Art? Nathan Sawaya Thinks So

I agree that people should just pack what they want for their RTW trips and also remember that by & large, if you really find yourself needing something along the way, you can (almost) always buy it wherever you are. But I think people really do have a tendency to overpack and while there’s nothing wrong with packing jeans if that’s what you love or a couple paperback novels, I think you should pack those at the expense of something else. Whenever I see people struggling with 70L (or bigger!) bags, I always wonder what the hell they could possibly have in there that’s so important. My first trip through Europe/the UK I had a bag that was way too big for me and I suffered for it. Unless you’re a Nepalese porter, carrying a bag that’s too big and too heavy will likely wind up being painful. We travel with 45-50L bags and wound up sending stuff home and to be honest, if it were at all possible to go with a smaller bag, I would!Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted…Putting the “Gorge” in “Gorgeous” at Taroko Gorge

Agreed, creating a balance is certainly important as you don’t want to overload yourself during 12 solid months (or longer) of travel. I think knowing that sacrifice is important when you packing is a must, I just don’t want to see people sacrificing things they actually will love and miss all the time just for the sake of a suggestion from some ‘Ultimate Packing List’.

Our packs are 130L combined but most of that is empty space and the stuff we packed is pretty lightweight too. In my eyes, I only have the backpack on for a few hours at a time if that, the rest of the time the pack is in the hostel or guesthouse, stored under a bus or on a plane. Carrying it for those short periods doesn’t bother me too much.Dale recently posted…Can LEGO Be Art? Nathan Sawaya Thinks So

This is my first post of yours that I read, I love your page! Great job with the cardboard signs!

I totally agree with the packing list! When I first backpacked Europe, I decided jeans were too heavy to pack. I chose instead a cheap pair “jeggings”-bad idea! lol…they were ugly, and I longed for jeans the entire 4 months I was in Europe. Now I always pack a pair of thinner jeans and no stupid jeggings! Through trial and error I’ve figured out the right things for me to pack. Of course I still never have it 100% right, but getting closer! Thanks for the great post!Anna recently posted…Koko Crater Railway Trail-Honolulu, Hawaii

Thanks so much Anna, as I’m sure you know having a site like this is always a work in progress so here’s hoping we can keep making it better and better, maybe with more signs. 🙂

I’m sure none of us will ever get it 100% right and even if we were setting off today for the first time but with our own idea for packing we’d still not get it right, what I’m hoping people are taking from this is to take packing lists as a guide rather than ‘the only way to pack’.Dale recently posted…The Ease and Pain of the Thai-Laos Border Crossing

I think the same can be said for lots of advice that we find on the web, as long as you take things as advice rather than strict lists or ‘the only way’ to do thing you’ll be fine.Dale recently posted…Can LEGO Be Art? Nathan Sawaya Thinks So

Dale, I’m so glad that someone else sees the point in carrying their laptop. We carried our heavy 17 inch Lenova IdeaPad around Europe for the last six months, and I’m not at all sorry. The thing is a powerhouse – it takes about 3 seconds to start up, can batch edit 50 photos in a few seconds, and is lightning fast running XBMC. Love it! I guess the lesson is to know what’s important to you.Micki recently posted…25 Great Tips For Planning Your Trip From Top Travel Bloggers

I remember the first time I saw someone pull out a similar ‘powerhouse’ sized laptop in a guesthouse in Nara, Japan and my immediate thought was, “bugger, why didn’t *I* do that?”. Ever since I’ve been living in regret and now it’s my mission to get my laptop sent out to me just as soon as I remember where I left it :SDale recently posted…Can LEGO Be Art? Nathan Sawaya Thinks So

Packing really is personal, so you’re right — there’s no universally perfect list. I’m with you on the paperbacks — but I’d lose the hairdryer and take my chances.Terry at Overnight New York recently posted…Ace Hotel: Music to Help Kids Get Better

Great post. I’m a very minimalistic packer myself and disregard much of what other people suggest. I’m always amazed to see backpackers in trendy outfits on the beach that must take up half of their pack, not to mention they require special cleaning. It all comes down to what’s important to you and what can you do without.Wendy DeChambeau recently posted…How I killed my travel envy

I think I know what you mean about the trendy outfits as I’ve seen several times people that are clearly travellers and not holiday makers with more different outfits per day than a live Lady Gaga show.

I’m all for casual and wearing whatever makes you comfortable, but there really is a big difference. Carry what’s right for you.Dale recently posted…Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum

Why must I change the way I dress and the way I pack just because I’m changing location?
EXACTLY! You won’t find me with ‘practical’ travel clothing, I’ll just wear what I always wear. It’s not just a trip, it’s a lifestyle right!Angela recently posted…Through our eyes // 07

I don’t really think there’s a single piece of practical clothing between us – oh actually – Franca has a raincoat stuffed at the bottom of her backpack which has been out maybe five times in 12 months!Dale recently posted…The Ease and Pain of the Thai-Laos Border Crossing

You’re so right, it’s all about priorities! Everyone’s different (duh!) and every trip is different (double duh!) so the ULTIMATE BEST EVER IN THE UNIVERSE PACKING LISTHeather recently posted…Five Ways to Remember

I’m glad you put it like that about everyone being different as sometimes when I read peoples packing lists or helpful tips or whatever, sometimes people paint to generic a picture of what people should be choosing rather than thinking about their independent needs.Dale recently posted…Can LEGO Be Art? Nathan Sawaya Thinks So

Hi Dale, Great post! I just returned from back to back trips with my boys, with a goal of fitting our stuff for each two week trip into carry-on bags. I spent hours reading “what to pack” and “what not to pack” articles galore. I did glean lots of useful information, put bits and pieces of it to use on our first round of packing, but for the second trip, I disregarded much of what I read, and went with what I felt fit our family best. And you know what, the second trip was way better packed than the first! Fit everything into one carry-on per person, and even had some space left over! So in the end, I learned pretty much what you just said – focus on your needs, and it’ll work out! PS – I didn’t put in my hair dryer, and wished I did! And I too brought (2) books, not my Kindle, and was quite glad I did.Carol B recently posted…Oxford: It’s More Than Hogwarts Dining Hall! Harry Potter Travel Series 6

I’m so glad to read that I’m not alone in the books department, in fact, we had a delivery come through today from my mother back home of ten classics for us to read. Super excited to get to have them with us and to get started on them no matter how much they weigh!

Firstly, wanted to mention I have both “Feast of Crows” and “Dance of Dragons” with me to read on my current trip. I had to have my kiddo hide them so I wouldn’t be tempted to read them before the trip!

Also, thank you for this! While the second trip has gone MUCH better in the packing department, we’re still trying to figure out what works for US. It’s nice having permission to break the rules. 😉Queenie recently posted…You grab your bag and you go to the next town.

My pleasure 🙂 I’m really glad to see more people thing outside of the norm regarding packing lists and that they don’t have to just print the same old list and tick it off without giving some thought for themselves.

What is the pack Franca is carrying in front? Is that a day pack of some sort? Whenever I get too micro, thinking we should pack everything we could possibly need,my husband reminds me that,unless we’re going to a remote Amazon region, we can probably buy whatever I think is indispensable if we didn’t bring it from home.Of course, we did go to a remote Amazonion region on our honeymoon, so there was that. And it was a good thing he had thrown in some suture material because he ended up having to suture our suitcase back together when it ripped. BTW,we no longer travel with suture material, they make suitcases out of much more durable fabric now. 😉

The pack on the front is a detachable day pack from the main backpack. It snaps onto the arm straps really easily and helps to distribute the weight a little better for our backs.

The tip of ‘buy it when you get there’ makes so much sense, especially now that we’ve been on the go a little while now. There are certainly many things that are worth leaving behind, cosmetic stuff especially.